Thursday, April 21, 2016

John Key has weighed in on the debate over bottled water exports, saying that he really doesn't think its a problem. Of course he doesn't. After all, companies are making millions of dollars selling a public resource they get for nothing. What could possibly be wrong with that?

Everything. Under the current regime, bottled water is nothing but licenced theft, the robbery of the environment and future generations for the private profit of a few now (and oddly, those few include people connected to the National Party, like Judith Collins' partner. How weird is that?) And that is simply wrong.

We charge royalties for oil, we charge royalties for gold and silver, we charge royalties for coal. And we should charge one for water too. If John Key thinks this would price dairy farmers or hydroelectricity generators out of the market, then I don't think its beyond the wit of his government to craft a regulatory regime which targeted those bottling water (or other drinks) for sale and ensured that the public and iwi get a fair return on our resource. But the current situation, where National's rich friends rob us blind, cannot be allowed to continue.